Color in the Darkness
by XxXxXxILuvNicoDiAngeloxXxXxX
Summary: Sky's the secretly abused demigod, best friend  with benefits  to playboy Nico di Angelo. They've been friends for several years, but she still doesn't know she's a halfblood. Until the wall smashes in, of course.
1. Chapter 1

**FINALLY.**

_**FINE. All. LEE.**_

**Honestly, I couldn't tell you why it took me this long to actually post this. I mean, yeah, I've been busy, but really, I wanted it to be long enough.**

**BUT I DID IT.**

**And don't worry, guys, I don't think I'll be rewriting this one. Third time's the charm, right? Anyways, enjoy and tell me what you think :3**

Disclaimer:

**Shockingly, I am not a man. Also, I'm not a rich famous writer. Clearly, if I was, I wouldn't be posting it here unless I could charge you people money to view the page. And, uh, FANfiction. Need I say more? No? Thought so.**

Skyler

"You know, it's be easier if you'd just let me help you." He said.

I snorted. "After you broke my easel last time? No."

He didn't reply, and I continued to stretch on my stool. I was trying to finish painting a mural on the wall of our gym, and was balancing precariously on a stool to reach the top while my best friend stood by.

Just a few more strokes…

There. Finished! I felt the stool settle firmly beneath me, and looked down to see my best friend holding it tight. He grinned up at me, silver snakebite piercings glinting in the sunlight streaming through the window above. His black hair was mussed as usual, resulting from him running his hands through it constantly. His eyes, a midnight blue, almost black, were light. His name? Nico di Angelo.

"It looks great, Skyler." He told me, smiling. I gave him a grin, leaning back slightly to take it in.

I'd done a collage of basket balls, soccer balls, hockey sticks, everything sports. It had taken me three months of staying late after school, and I was finally finished. All it had to do now, was dry.

"Trust fall!" I announced, letting myself fall backwards off the stool and into his arms, which were outstretched in surprise. He stared down at me, half-quizzical, half-annoyed.

"What?" I asked, pouting. "I didn't feel like climbing down."

"And if I hadn't caught you?" He asked softly, setting me on my feet.

"I'd have a concussion or something. I've had worse." I replied, beginning to pack up my paint. He sighed exasperatedly.

"Your lack of concern for your personal welfare is again, astounding." He stated dryly, but began to help me put everything away anyways. "Really," He added as he did so. "I'm serious."

I paused, standing straight and glancing at him. He kept his face hidden behind his hair, which was just long enough to shadow his expression. I narrowed my eyes slightly.

He didn't exactly know why I didn't care about my health, and I wasn't planning on telling him. After all, how exactly does one go about mentioning a painful home life? 'Oh, yeah, and my mom likes to through beer bottles and other hazardous objects at my face. But at least it's Friday!'

….Yeah. No.

When he did look up, he avoided my eyes, handing me my box of paints without a word. I let it go, turning and heading to the water fountain to wash my brushes. I did my best not to wince as the bruises on my ankle began to throb again, the result of walking on a sprain all day. I was shocked it hadn't swelled.

Well, I was wearing boots. It actually might _have_ swelled, I just couldn't see it. When I told him I didn't want to climb down, I meant it. I didn't want to damage it any more than it already was. I'm already going to have to ice it the first chance I get.

I'd gotten the sprain this morning, when I'd hopped from my second story window down to concrete, successfully avoiding a rampaging mother. I heard her banging on my door seconds after I landed, so I had simply grabbed the schoolbag I'd had the forethought to throw down beforehand and took off.

I'd gone straight to Nico's house, where he lived with his grandmother. He slipped out the door, shutting in his big black lab and calling out a goodbye to her. He joined me at the bottom of the steps and we left towards school.

Even his casual throwing his arm over my shoulders had hurt, the bruise from a book my mother had thoughtfully aimed at my face (but clearly missed) had left on my neck throbbing. I was thankful for the winter, it gave me an excellent excuse for turtlenecks and scarves.

As usual, I'd hid it well enough where he didn't notice a thing. We walked to school together, chatting aimlessly until we got there. We'd headed to our separate classes, and met up again at lunch. He stood in line with me, despite having brought his own lunch.

"How was your day so far?" He asked lightly. I scowled, and he laughed.

"Ms. Braeburn decided I needed to be put in intensive reading, and Mr. Stone threw me out again. I hate it here." I complained, and he circled an arm around me. I leaned my head on his shoulder tiredly, and he smiled softly. I paid for my lunch, and we began to walk away.

"Why'd he throw you out this time?" He asked calmly as we exited the cafeteria and headed to the tables outside in the courtyard.

I paused, blushing. Nico laughed again, adjusting the strap on his black messenger bag.

"So, I may have told him to shut up and do his job…" I mumbled. At this, Nico laughed even harder, his arm slipping from my waist to hold his own and he gasped for breath.

"Shut up!" I told him, blushing darker as we neared our table. He nodded, wiping imaginary tears away.

"He likes to rant about stupid shit for half an hour and waste time. It's annoying." I defended, and he just rolled his eyes, slipping into the bench beside me.

"What are you guys talking about this time?" Quizzed Marina, another of our friends. She had long, golden brown hair and ocean-colored eyes. She was Percy's adoptive sister, and had relatively the same personality. Percy was Nico's cousin, with shaggy black hair much like Nico's, only shorter, and green eyes. He was sarcastic, funny, and a little blunt at times. But he was over all a nice guy. The only large difference between the two Jackson siblings was that she had an emotional range larger than a teaspoon.

Also at the table were Kylie, a pretty brown-skinned girl with large brown eyes and brown dreads, who had a weird leg disease that forced her to use crutches, and Annabeth, Percy's blonde, gray-eyed, braniac girlfriend.

"This time?" I asked in return.

"You guys don't exactly _not_ talk to each other, and it's always something different with you. So, yes, this time." Marina clarified. I laughed, and Nico gave a small grin.

"If you _must_ know," He said, leaning forward onto the table and tangling a hand in his hair and staring up at her through his eyelashes. She blushed, and I bit back a laugh. He was such a tease. She leaned forward as well, eager to hear his response.

"None of your business." He finished easily, smirking and sitting straight.

Percy sighed. "Stop playing with my sister."

"_Playing_ with?" Nico asked, raising an eyebrow, still smirking. "My, Percy, what gave you _that_ idea? Been spying, cousin?"

Percy glared at him, growling something under his breath. I laughed, both at Nico's implications and the Jackson's twin red faces.

Mari glared at me, and I casually flipped her off. We never got on well, and everyone knew it. Nico wasn't bothered by it, nor her infatuation with him. He played her like a guitar, and she never gave up. I would have stopped him, but she'd always been a bitch to me and I saw no reason to.

He laughed, reaching an arm around me to gently take my hand and fold down the finger, pecking me quickly and lightly on the cheek as he did so. I felt my own cheeks heat, and he smiled playfully, still holding his arm around me, hand now level with my stomach and wrapped around my own.

He'd always been free with his affections, something surprising to Percy and Anna. Apparently, he was very closed off and bitter when he was younger. Then, one day, it seemed like someone had just flipped a switch on him. He stopped hating having company, and started going out during the day and making friends.

He became a normal kid, hating school, loving sleep, and, being a teenage boy, eating way more then should be physically possible. And he became a bit of a playboy. But he got away with it, because, honestly? They boy radiates fear.

You don't want to fuck with him.

Percy made a disapproving noise, and Nico ignored him, instead choosing to antagonize me, playfully nipping my neck and resting his chin on my shoulder. I turned my head to glare at him, and he gave me puppy eyes through his lashes.

I'm embarrassed to say it still works on me.

I knew my cheeks stained darker, but his eyes widened almost imperceptivity, and I sighed, rolling my eyes. He grinned happily at me, sliding off the bench and sliding me back with him.

"We'll be back!" He said happily, tugging me behind him. I glanced over my shoulder to see Percy rolling his eyes, Mari giving me the definition of 'if looks could kill' and Anna flatly ignoring us, reading some giant textbook while she ate.

Nico's grip on my wrist was gentle, carefree, letting me break away if I choose to. He led me behind the pavilion wall, spinning me and pinning me there. He wanted his "fix."

He rested his forehead against mine, smiling playfully at me. His eyes were light, today, an actual clear dark blue. He dropped his gaze to my lips, then back to my eyes, shifting against me.

My hands, resting lightly on his chest, slid up and around his shoulders, one tangling itself in his soft hair. His grinned turned almost dangerous, and his hands gripped my waist and hips.

He growled happily, leaning down and pressing his lips to mine briefly, before drawing back. I wouldn't smile. He'd have to work for that. Realizing this, he dropped light kisses down the side of my jaw, raising the hand from my waist to cup my face.

Ah, shit. I can feel my resolved ebbing away…

He tilted my head, expertly flicking stray strands of my hair away and pressing his lips into the hollow just behind my ear, making my squirm and bite my lip to prevent a squeal. The metal of his piercings spread as he smiled against my skin.

Of course, that's when the wall exploded.

**So? How was iiittt?**

**My signature cliffy ending. :D**

**Review and tell me how you like the new version, I'm sticking with it. Originally, I'd brought Bianca back, but debated over it and ended up (obviously) deleting her. That's where we got Marina who's gonna help us set up a nice love triangle...**

**But whatever. Tell me what you thought!**

**\/**

**!**


	2. Chapter 2

Skyler

In an instant, Nico'd spun me around and caught the shrapnel on his back. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain, but didn't say anything. He took my hand and ran, dragging me after him.

I shouted his name, and he tightened his grip on my hand but didn't reply. The back of his black hoodie was darkening considerably, and I saw bits of stone sticking out. How he kept running with all of that, I had no idea.

As soon as we cleared the corner, I saw Mari and the others on their feet with…swords? I risked glancing behind me, and almost fainted. Two huge Cyclops were lumbering towards us, giant clubs in their hands and meaty fists clenched.

"Nico!" I shouted again, borderline hysterical.

"I know! Just hide! I'll come for you, and take this." He stopped abruptly, drawing a dagger out of seemingly nowhere before pressing it into my palm, kissing me swiftly and fiercely, and pushing me away. He spun, yanking the silver skull ring he always wore off his finger, and I gasped when it transformed into a three-foot sword, black as pitch and seeming to give off tendrils of shadow. Barely, I registered that the rest of the students had mysteriously gone missing.

When the first Cyclops swung his club towards the group, Annabeth cramming a Yankees cap on her head and promptly disappearing, the water fountain behind me exploding violently, giving me several more bruises as it did and leaving me soaked and shivering as the water rushed past me; his words finally registered in my head and I ran for the pavilion.

I squished myself in the gap between the vending machines, leaving only one side open for…attack? I didn't know, all I could think about was how damn _cold_ it was and how it really _sucked_ that the stupid monsters had interrupted us. I think I was still in shock, otherwise, I'd be freaking out and hyperventilating. But there'll be time for that later, right?

Oh my god. Monsters. _Cyclops_.

Here we go.

My breath came in short gasps, and I sank to my knees, shivering violently and hearing rather than feeling my teeth rattle. I squeeze my eyes shut, tears flooding out. I hugged myself, the dagger falling to the floor at my feet. Through all this, I'd been silent besides breathing. With a mother like mine, you learned to be silent even when screaming.

I had a hand clamped over my mouth, and I pressed harder as fear took over. Oh my god, what if someone got hurt? What _was_ that? Cyclops aren't even _real!_ This is _crazy!_ What's _wrong_ with me? Am I dreaming? Am I going insane? I had to be! Things like this don't happen to normal people! My mother must have hit me harder then I thought she did…I had to be seeing things.

So why was I soaked and bleeding, huddled in a corner of the school's covered tables, while my friends (well, mostly) fought off two giant men who couldn't wear anything but gigantic monocles and apparently loin cloths?

I don't know how long I sat there, but the next thing I know Nico's in front of me tugging my hands away from where I'd had them clamped over my ears, shushing me and wiping the tears. He had a bruise growing purple on his left cheek, and I'm sure his back was still messed up, but otherwise he looked fine.

I pulled away from his grip, putting a hand on the undamaged side of his face, needing to feel him, know he was real, know _this_ was real and not some twisted nightmare. He smiled weakly, stroking my hair back and checking me for injuries or something of the sort. My other hand captured on of his, and he squeezed comfortingly. Still shaking, I threw myself forward into his embrace.

Instantly, he wrapped his arms around my lower back, avoiding the cuts he'd clearly found on my shoulder from the fountain's metal chunks slicing at me. I noticed Percy and Annabeth over his shoulder, Mari dusting herself off slightly behind them, walking towards us, Kylie already seated and retying her hair back. Mari caught sight of us, me mainly, and scowled angrily, glaring venomously.

I buried my face in Nico's shoulder, and he rubbed the back of my head. He stood slowly, and I heard him kick the dagger away quickly. He turned us, and I pulled back to grip his arm and hide slightly behind him. Rubbing circles on the back of my hand, our fingers laced together, he gave silent reassurance.

"I haven't told her yet." He stated quietly. Mari snorted.

"Well, clearly. She's shaking like the pathetic baby she is. I mean, seriously, she's just such a-" Mari started, a superior look on her face, before Percy cut her off.

"I'm no longer defending you, Mari. Seriously. Don't be such a bitch. You threw up after your first monster." He reprimanded, and she had the decency to blush and turn away.

"…Anyways." Nico announced after a short awkward silence. "We need to get her to camp. I'm surprised it took this long for the monsters to show with her around, what with five demigods, at least three major, and a satyr…" He trailed off thoughtfully at the end.

I released him, jerking back. He stumbled with surprised, having not let go of my hand.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked him shrilly, and his surprised look changing to one of recognition.

"Sky-" He began.

"No! No! NO!" I screamed, trying to wrench my hand away from his. He held tight, letting me nearly pull him off his feet before tugging back firmly and sending me tumbling into his arms. His gripped my shoulders firmly, forcing me to look at him with a hand on my chin.

"Skyler, calm down." He commanded, face serious. I opened my mouth to protest, but stopped when his eyes hardened to ice, the blue darkening to nearly flat black.

"Sorry about this." He mumbles softly, and then his eyes go flat black, not even the whites visible, and I pass out in his arms.

**A/N: Oh this looks so much longer in Word. Which, coincidentally, I don't own. Neither do I own this. Since, you know, this FANfiction, where FANS right fiction based off of things they're FANS of and therefore CLEARLY DON'T OWN. (Can you tell I don't see a point in disclaimers? Here: Don't own shit. This applies from chapter one, to here and on out.)**

** Review! **


	3. Chapter 3

Skyler

The second I wake up, I open my eyes and search for my best friend. When I catch sight of him calmly perched on the edge of the bed I was lying it, chatting with a Percy, I tackle him to the floor, where after a few seconds of disorientation, pins me down.

"Okay," He pants. "I get it. You're pissed." He pauses and swallows nervously. "Admittedly, you have every right to be."

"_No shit!" _I hiss back, furious. I'm thrashing in his grip, and he straddles me to keep me from kneeing him where it'll hurt, since he knows better than to leave that open.

"Can I at least explain?" He pleads, fingers tightening just as I was managing to slip through his vice-like grip. I stop struggling, settling for a venomous glare. He chews on his lip for a moment, eyes dancing somewhere to my left as he debates something. The sound of Percy's foot tapping makes him curse under his breath, before meeting my glare reluctantly.

"What would you say if I told you I wasn't a hundred percent…human?" He asks slowly, gauging my reaction. I snorted.

"I'd tell you to stop watching those shitty old sci-fi films and let me take you to a real movie for once." I shoot back easily, even more pissed that he's joking at a time like this.

He head drops, and he sighs. A prick of uncertainty flows through me at this, as he's rarely this serious. When he looks back up, his eyes are sad.

"Skyler, I'm not who you think I am. I've been lying to you this entire time, and I'm sorry. I wasn't lying about how I felt, or what I did, only who I was. I know this doesn't make any sense, but it will. When we get to Camp. I'll explain on the way, but you need to trust me, and please, promise to try and forgive me once you understand?" He's breathless at the end, and he sucks his lip back in his mouth afterwards, playing nervously with the piercings as he waits for my response.

I stare at him incredulously. I want to believe he's joking, but he's a terrible actor and he's watching me apprehensively, eyes growing steadily wider and desperate. I can't take it anymore, and I squeeze my eyes shut and turn my face away. I'm so confused by what I remember, I don't even know where to start.

Sensing I'm no longer a threat, he releases me, letting me curl up into a ball and consider my sanity. I can hear Percy say something, and Nico reply, but I don't bother listening. Instead, I pick idly at a crack in the hardwood floor of my bedroom.

It's that thought that sends me shooting into a sitting position, eyes flying around the room.

"No," I breathe softly. "Oh, no…" I draw out the vowel, almost wailing. Nico's at my side in a millisecond, but I'm already standing. I pull him quickly to his feet, propelling him to the door.

"We can't be here. Oh my god, we seriously can't be here. Why are we here? We can't be here!" I ramble frantically, grabbing Percy next and shoving him out of my door and towards the front door. "Go, go! We have to _go!"_ I scream, pushing both boys forwards. I ignore the pain of continuously stepping on what had been a healing ankle, and we're almost at the door when I hear it.

In between both boys' questioning, I hear it.

Over my labored breathing as I begin to hyperventilate again, I can still hear it.

The unmistakable sound of a key in the lock.

I freeze, clamping a hand over each boys mouth. I hear the tumblers click, and I gasp out a curse before stumbling back the way we'd come, dragging them with me. I press a finger to my lips, locking my bedroom door behind us just as I hear the front door bang against the wall. It slams shut, and then there's silence. Silence deep enough to hear a caterpillar sneeze.

And then it starts.

"Sky-ler!" She calls in a sing-song voice, drawing out the syllables.

"Fuck." I mumble hoarsely. "Oh, shit. Hide." The last word is near hysteria, directed at the two boys. Percy's completely lost, Nico's wide-eyed and shocked, but he has enough mind to tug Percy back and shove him in my bathroom, shutting the door before her slips into my closet. Just as he pulls the door shut, there's pounding on the one I'd locked.

"Skyler, you little brat. I know you're in there!" 'Brat' is said in a grating voice, the rest in the same sing-song, pleasant voice she loves to use when she's high. Slowly, I unlock the door, and I notice my hands shaking as I pull it open. I'm praying she just wants to yell at me, so that the two boys I know are watching through the hole wear the once was a lock on my bathroom and the slats in the closet door won't do anything stupid.

She's stand firmly, for her, which is swaying for the rest of us. Her bleached, stringy hair is piled up in a messy bun, blood-shot brown eyes glaring down through slightly-wrinkled overly-tanned skin, over a slightly turned up nose that I inherited. The thin lips I'm glad I somehow missed in the transference of genetics are pulled into a sharp line when she sees my disheveled appearance. I know my hair, dyed inky black, is messy and tangled, my make-up running and sticky, and my lips trembling with the rest of me.

Her smile is sickly, and as I notice the empty bottle hanging limply from her long fingers, I wince. Her smile widens, and her arm lifts, winding back. I jerk sideways, and the bottle smashes against the wall above my bed. She frowns angrily, and a stinging slap sends my ears ringing.

"How _dare_ you skip school, you ungrateful little _bitch!"_ She screams, taking a step forward as I stumble back. I tumble purposely in front of the closet door, where I heard a gasp from moments before.

"What the fuck?" Nico breathes, and I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment before replying equally as quiet.

"Please, whatever you do, don't interfere. It'll just make it worse." I tell him, the last syllable morphing into a scream as I'm pulled up by my hair to face her. She reeks of alcohol, and her eyes are slightly un focused and glazed from the pot I know she smokes, among other things.

"Money." She rasps. "Where's my money?"

I gulp. I don't have time to work full-time with school, but I find a way, because how else am I going to pay the rent? So I'd been taking night shifts at a diner nearby and doing odd jobs like washing cars, mowing lawn, walking dogs, and babysitting for the past two years.

Her greedy gaze follows my hand as I dig it into my back picket, handing her the two hundred I'd made this week. She snatches the money and drops me unceremoniously to the ground. She counts quickly - because even as intoxicated and influenced she is, she can still fully comprehend money- before her grin drops to a sneer. Before I realize what happens, I'm rolling sideways and curling into a ball and she screams.

"_Two hundred? That's __**it? **__You little __**bitch!**__ You've stolen again, haven't you?"_ I can't help little yelps as her foot connects with every other word, nor the tears streaming down my face. I see the closet door begin to open, so I crawl as quick as I can over and curl up in front.

"Skyler, don't be fucking stupid!" He hisses, and I don't say anything, my mind swimming with pain, leaving me dazed. I concentrate, blocking out the pain as I'd had so much practice doing, until I feel numb.

"I didn't steal." I say defiantly, carefully watching her every move as she stands, breathing heavily in the middle of my room and glaring. "You made me stay home to take care of you when you threw up Tuesday. I had to call in sick."

She sputters, angrily, before screaming how it's no excuse before stomping out of my room and slamming the door, but not before she catches sight of the picture propped so carefully on my dresser. She grabs it, turning to look at me, a sadistic smile on her face. I'm sitting up now, and I bolt forward, reaching for it. She yanks it back, out of my reach, and cackles disturbingly.

"Is this your boyfriend?" She taunts, dangling the frame just past the tips of my fingers. It's a photo, taken last year. It's in a forest near our house, when the group of my friends and I had decided to explore. It's autumn, and the leaves are orange and fluttering down, and Nico and I are in the center of the path. We're both smiling, holding hands as he tenderly places a kiss on my lips. I'm barely standing, and his hand on my hip is the only thing holding me steady. I can feel the tears rushing down, and I choke back a sob.

"Please," I beg brokenly, reaching again. Her expression turns furious, and she flicks her wrist, sending the picture flying across my room. It slams into the wall, the glass shattering and the frame breaking. Finally broken, I fall forward in a mess of tears. She'd broken everything else I'd valued that I'd been stupid enough to leave out, and I'd forgotten to hide that picture after I'd taken it out last night.

She leaves, the slamming door making the windows rattle and the sound reverberate through my hand painfully. There's a few breathless seconds where nothing moves and I don't even dare to breathe, and then the front door slams as well and I let myself really cry.

The closet door bangs open, and Nico's pulling me into his arms in an instant. Percy's gingerly picking his way through my room, probably letting the realization set in that the rust on the metal frame of my bed isn't rust, and the stains on my floor that won't go away no matter how much I scrub aren't dirt or soda. No one's ever been to my house, not even Nico, though he knows where it is since he picks me up downstairs sometimes.

I'm shaking, and his arms are clamped tight to stop me. I stretch and turn, loosening his grip until I can crawl over to wear the remains of the picture lay. Ignoring the shards of glass, I pick the photo out of the mess, not even noticing the cuts I get sweeping off the bits on the photo. I feel hands below my arms, and Nico hauls me up and away from the broken remains and into a warm hug.

Not bothering to be modest and knowing I'm not thinking straight, I bawl my heart out into his shoulder, clutching the picture tight in one hand. Again, I don't bother listening when Percy talks, nor when he replies. He has to say my name a few times and tug me away a little before I realize he wants something. Swallowing my tears, I pull myself back together and stare up questioningly.

"I said, we need to get you away from here, and we need to get you to camp. Pack your stuff, sweetheart, you don't have to come back here again." He tells me, thumbs wiping the remains of my tears away. I'm dumbfounded, taking in his words.

When they finally sink in, I let a grin spread across my face. "I don't have to come back?" I ask uncertainly, but I can't help smiling. I was never one to hold delusions, and I know my mother hates me. I've never pretended to love her, merely doing as she asks to avoid trouble. Even the thought of leaving her forever is euphoria-inducing. I don't know what he means by 'camp,' and at this point, I don't even care.

He returns my smile, though his is considerably strained and sadder, and it doesn't reach his eyes. "Never." He promises. I can't help it, that simple word, that promise, sends a shiver down my spine and I gasp involuntarily. I'm frozen for a moment, before pulling away from the hands cupping my face and darting towards my bed.

I know I'm stepping on glass, and I know I'm barefoot, but I don't even feel it as I pull out the duffle bag and toss it on top of my bed. Quickly and easily, I empty the contents of my dresser into it, before finding the loose floorboard in the corner and pulling out my valuables, consisting of a few photos and the fifty dollars I'd saved up.

I pile everything into the bag, zipping it shut. The whole process taking maybe ten minutes. I turn back to the boys, who I hadn't noticed had been talking again, and slip between them to grab my shoes. I head back to my bed, plopping down and going to pull my socks when I finally notice the pain.

Of course, then it's a domino effect leading me to notice the _rest _of the pain. So of course, I gasp and promptly faint.

**A/N: Hi. Review?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yes, it's short as fuck but my mom will be home any minute and technically, I'm asleep. Enjoy, read, & review. Oh, Happy Valentines :)**

Nico

When Skyler gasps, I instantly break off my sentence and dart towards her, catching her as she falls. She's light, lighter than any fifteen-year-old girl should be. I'd carried her before, but I guess I never noticed. She hangs limply, tangled brown hair falling haphazardly around her face, hiding some of the freckles on her pale cheeks. Her brown eyes are shut, mouth slightly open. I shift her, and it closes softly. Percy's watching us, a mildly shocked expression still present on his face.

We're silent for a moment, both of us still kind of stunned.

"You didn't do anything to help her." He says softly. I scowl, turning my face away.

"I couldn't. She wouldn't let me open the door. She was hurt enough as it is, I didn't want to injure her by opening it anyways, though I could've." I told bitterly "Why didn't you? You have the hero complex."

He winces, then. "I thought you would. So I IM'd Chiron."

I reach towards her bed, grabbing the straps of her bag and hooking a finger through the laces of her shoes. Percy swears and latches onto my arm seconds before I disappear into the shadows.

Shadow traveling, for me, isn't as bad as I've heard people describe it. For one, it's because I'm finding the right portal of sorts to exit out of, the right shadow. Also, I was never afraid of the dark. I don't feel the whole my-skin-is-peeling-off-of-my-face thing either.

Shit, almost missed it.

I stepped out of the shadows of the infirmary, Percy stumbling to his knees as we exited. The Apollo kid on duty, a tall, slim guy with a playboy magazine he hurriedly threw under the desk jumped at our entrance. His eyes were wide as he took in our appearance, and I almost laughed.

He's me, forming out of tendrils of shadow with an unconscious girl in my arms, bits of shadow still clinging to my black clothing, her rainbow duffle hanging limply from one hand, black hightops hooked on my finger. Percy stands, brushing off his shirt, nodding to the kid, and strides out. I rolled my eyes at his attempt to regain his dignity, and gently laid Skyler down on the nearest bed. I tugged down her gray hoodie where it rode up, winding my fingers through her.

Apollo boy is by her other side, a hand on her head as he concentrates. I take this opportunity to scan the back of his shirt, where there's now our last names and our cabin, as we have so many damn demigods running around no one can keep track. It reads some generic name that slips my mind again the moment I look away, which is when he gasps.

"Damn, Neeks, what'd you _do_ to her?" He asks incredulously. I stare at him calmly for a moment, a blank, unnerving gaze that works like a charm When he starts to squirm, I flick my eyes to his wrist, where he screams as he notices the shadows creeping up his arm like whispy snakes. I don't need to say anything, and I release the shadows as soon as he sees them. Pale and shaking, he apologizes and stumbles back to get supplies from the closet.

He returns moments later, and I look up from her face, but don't release her hand, rubbing circles on the back of it. I watch as he carefully applies ointment and salves to her bruises, something we've found stops scars, before dripping a little nectar down her throat. She wakes with a gasp, and I stop staring at him, and out of the corner of my eyes I notice he visibly relaxes. Smirking to myself, I focus on Sky.

Her eyes, mocha brown, are wide and she gasps in her every breath. Her cheeks are flushed, and her skin is pale, but she doesn't seem to be in much pain. Her gaze flickers wildly around the room, stopping when it lands on me. Her mouth opens, but no sound comes out. After a beat pf tense silence, a sob pushes it's way through.

She reddens considerably darker, trying and failing to hold a scowl as tears begin to fall. Not bothering to acknowledge Apollo boy, who stammers out protests, I pick her up and cradle her while she cries. She winds her fists tight into my shirt, high enough where I can't put her down without taking it off. Her face is buried by my shoulder, and she's silently shaking.

As much as I hate the sun, she loves it; so I take her outside and head towards the back of Persephone's cabin, where I'm friends with a few of the kids and the garden has a private bench bathed in warm light. Thankfully, the cabin was at an activity and we weren't be disturbed.

I held her until she stopped crying, and even after until she finally lifted her face and pulled away. I let her scoot a few inches a way, wiping her face with her sleeves and sniffing pathetically. She mumbled something under her breath.

"Pardon?" I inquired softly.

"M'sorry." She whispered. Considerably shorter than whatever she mumbled, but whatever. She'd tell me if she wanted me to know.

"Don't be." I replied, just as soft. "You have to manage things no one, _no one _should have to deal with. Don't _ever_ apologize for that, okay? It's not your fault, love." She presses a hand to her mouth, shaking her head mutely.

"Don't try to feed me any bullshit, either." I add, thinking how sometimes an abusive parent will brainwash the kid into thinking it's their fault. "I don't care _what_ she told you, it's not true. You're smart, beautiful, and an amazing person. Do not let her take that away from you."

She turns away, and I can see she's fighting back more tears. I gently pull her chin towards me, but she won't look me in the eye. Her body is slightly shaky, from the exhaustion, no doubt, and fighting off the tears she hates to shed. She's strong, stronger than I am, and than most of the people here.

She withstood that abuse from that crazy botch for I don't know how long, and she's never broken. She's headstrong, and she's got a temper, but she's down to earth and incredibly intelligent. She's far from perfect, but I haven't met anyone more real.

So maybe she's got a bit of an overbite, and her skin's a bit too pale and her freckles stand out. She's very fragile, thin as a reed, and she never goes without her hoodies. But she's reliable and loyal, she can pack a punch, and she's fiery and willful to the point of being headstrong and stubborn. She doesn't back down, and I've rarely seen her cry.

So to see her so sad, so distinctly broken, is a bit of a shock. She sucks in a few breaths, each steadier than the last, then lowers her hand and pulls away from my hand, though she looks me in the eye now. I can she she's put up all her walls again, walls it'd taken me months to tear down, but that I know she needs right now.

I lean towards her, keeping our eyes locked, finally pressing a soft kiss against her lips. She gives a shuddering sigh, her eyes closing and the tension relaxing from her body. I keep the kiss slow, filling it with every once of soft passion I can manage. I don't know if she realizes it, but I've been in love with her for a while. How can I not?

She tastes like blood and tears, and I guess it's a testament to my earlier confession that I don't pull away. I let her decide when she had enough, and she pulls away after another minute or so. I lean my forehead against hers, watching her expression carefully. Her eyes are closed, and she sighs softly. I grin when I see the barely-there smile tugging at the corners of her lips.


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright. So. There obviously haven't been any updates on this in forever, and this is a note that's going up on all of my stories. Thing is, I'm not actually going to be posting anything on here. It's not that I've stopped writing (that's impossible) but I have lost total interest in this website. And I feel bad, because the support I've had here is lovely, and I genuinely thank each and every one of you for giving me chills with your reviews and reassuring me when I feel like I'm not good enough. **

**However, this website is something I've been on for a while, and while there are still some great writers here, I keep finding more and more fics with more mistakes then I don't feel that the quality has gone down at all, it's just my standards are ridiculously high and I'm extremely critical. I don't really want any replies on here, because I probably won't really bother to check.**

**Basically what I'm saying is that I'm moving. I have a writing tumblr that I will be using, as well as two main blogs. You can spam the fuck out of me on either of those and get a prompt response and feedback. I will post, as much as possible, and I will be active. So go ahead and see me there. Check my profile for the URL to both my writing blog, and a little bit down, my one of my main blogs.**

**Thanks so much for everything,**

**Summer**


	6. Chapter 6

**Guys I got a review with lyrics to a song about hate and what the fuck explain please okay bye**


	7. Chapter 7

**I am giving this site another chance, but rewriting most if not all of everything. Bear with me. Thanks for the support!**


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